Padfoot's Progeny
by flyflyhighup
Summary: A few years before Harry was born Sirius had an affair with a Muggle woman that resulted in a child. Now, escaped from Azkaban and on the run, he wants to get to know his offspring.
1. Chapter 1

The figures of Harry and Hermione on the tower of the castle got smaller and smaller as Sirius was leaving Hogwarts behind him. He dug his fingers into the feathers of hippogriff's massive neck and shuddered from both the cold night wind and the thought of the terrifying destiny he had just escaped. Earlier today Sirius was sure that the years he spent imprisoned had hardened him to the point where nothing could scare him anymore. That was proven wrong the moment Snape pronounced the words "Dementor's Kiss". Sirius knew he would be fated for such a sentence if he got caught after his escape from Azkaban but as long as he could get his hands on Peter Pettigrew, he felt like nothing else mattered. However, when a possibility became a reality, Sirius realized that he could still be afraid for his life. That he could still feel. He was mad at himself for letting Peter slip through his fingers right when he was minutes away from regaining his innocence. Well, but there was no bad without something good. He had finally met his godson and found out that Harry had inherited his father's heart of gold when they boy spared the life of the bastard who betrayed his parents. For a moment he felt an overpowering wish to return to Godric's Hollow to honor the memory of his dearest deceased friends. But the community in this village was so small that he would be recognized immediately and probably executed as everyone there still believed he was the one who murdered Lily and James. Sirius felt burning tears forming in his eyes when he thought about Potters.

But Harry wasn't the only reason why Sirius wanted so badly to be free. There was something else, something that had lived at the back of his mind all these years. Something that no one else but Sirius and James knew about. This secret that Sirius first thought would be just a little inconvenience, grew into something that tormented him no less than the death of Harry's parents.

Decided that they were now far enough to not be seen from Hogwarts, Sirius patted Buckbeak's neck, urging the hippogriff to descend. They stopped at a small lake in the woods. Buckbeak bent down and started to drink the water eagerly, the long flight had obviously worn the creature out. Sirius sat down, pressing his back against a tree, watching Buckbeak's lean body glistening in the moonlight. Somewhere far away an owl screamed but the night was so quiet he could almost hear his own nervous heartbeat. He raised his eyes to the thousands of stars scattered over the ink-blue sky and sank into memories.

 _It was the summer of 1978. Sirius was not even 20 years old. A mischievous troublemaker that he was, the young and witty wizard wandered into the Muggle world looking for satisfaction to his unquenchable desire for adventure. It led him to a small, suburban town in the East London where he met the woman he was never able to forget, no matter how hard he tried. Evelyn Morgan. Even after all these years her name still burned into his memory. From the moment he laid his eyes on her, Sirius instinctively knew that this beautiful, dark haired and brown eyed female was a Muggle. She playfully ridiculed Sirius for carrying a wooden stick around with him and his aristocratic clothing contrasted sharply with her Muggle outfits. Evelyn had no idea about the existence of the magical world and Sirius saw no need to tell every single Muggle about his real nature. He liked her just the way she was and the time he spent with her was the most wonderful time of his life. Their happiness lasted for three months only. When the Autumn came, an atom bomb fell on Sirius' world. "I'm pregnant", he could still hear Evelyn uttering those words. He wasn't ready for that. He had no intention to raise a kid. Being too much of a rebel and too young to settle down, Sirius ran away from the town in the cover of a night when his black fur blended with the darkness perfectly. He never said goodbye to Evelyn. He wanted to be as far from her as possible. Sirius knew he could have erased her memory... but he didn't want to. He wanted her to remember him._

 _A few days later Sirius arrived in Godric's Hollow to visit James. His best friend was the only person Sirius told what he had done. His suspicion that James wouldn't approve his actions was confirmed. He was already living together with Lily planning to have a child that would later become Sirius' godson. James strongly advised his friend to return to Evelyn and take on responsibility for the child that she was expecting. And yet this was possibly the first time when Sirius didn't listen to his schoolmate. He continued to roam the wizarding world, purposely staying away from Muggles as they reminded him of the thing he wanted to forget. If Evelyn was a witch, she would probably send an owl after owl, trying to find out where her lover was. But she wasn't. Magic was just a fairytale for her and she had no way to contact Sirius. He could imagine what she probably thought of him, yet Sirius wasn't sure if he ever wanted a family of his own._

 _Sirius' world was shattered on 31 October 1981. The unjust deaths of Lily and James drew him to seek vengeance that led the innocent to Azkaban. Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, days turned into years. The screams of the prisoners echoed in the walls of the fortress and the gloomy presence of Dementors made everyone want to kill themselves. Locked into his cell Sirius thought not only about Harry, not only about the traitor Peter but also about the child that he chose not to acknowledge. The child he had never seen and knew nothing about. Was it a he? Was it a she? Was his child asking their mother about their father? What did Evelyn answer? Surely nothing good._

So now, when he had finally won his freedom back, Sirius wished nothing more than to see his child. To meet them and get to know them. He or she was somewhere out there and didn't even know they had a father. He had made sure that Harry was alright. Dumbledore wouldn't let anything bad happen to his godson and as long as he stayed in Hogwarts, Harry was safe. Sirius realized that London was the last place where he should show his face now. The headquarters of the Ministry of Magic were located there and Aurors wouldn't hesitate to recapture him. Peter had gotten away, therefore, Sirius' name wasn't cleared. But London was also the place where Evelyn was, where his child was. He had no choice left. He was going to London.

Buckbeak had obviously had enough water and was now looking at Sirius impatiently. The wizard got on its back again and when the first rays of sun touched the tops of trees, they were flying again, closer and closer to civilization.


	2. Chapter 2

Mornings began early in the small town in East London. The sun had barely raised over the rooftops of the small houses but the town was already full of life. Streetlights went out, people were walking like ants to all directions, hurrying, pushing each other, dragging their children behind them. It had rained last night and little boys and girls splashed their colorful rain boots through the puddles, giggling cheerfully and earning a scolding from their parents. The traffic lights changed from red to yellow to green all the time and cars honked impatiently, sleepy drivers cursing at bikes that sneaked in every space they found on the road. Light wind shook the branches of the trees, causing the wetness from the leaves to fall down all over someone who was walking under the tree. The autumn morning was chilly, clear and beautiful.

In all this rush no one paid attention to a black dog that was sitting on a lonely bench, watching everyone keenly. Aside from the slight raising of its chest that signified breathing, the dog was motionless. It didn't have a collar or a name tag and obviously didn't belong to anyone. It almost looked like the dog was waiting for something special.

A little boy walked by, holding his mother's hand. Noticing the lone animal, he pulled his mother towards the bench.

" A doggy! Mommy, look, a doggy! " The child reached his tiny hand to touch the dog.

But the dog didn't seem to want any love. It pulled away the same moment the boy's mother jerked him back by the sleeve of his raincoat.

" What are you doing? Stay away from stray dogs, they might be ill! "

She walked away, dragging her son with her. The next moment, when the little boy looked back to take one last look at the dog he didn't manage to pet, it was gone. The lonely bench was empty.

So far Sirius hadn't seen any members from the Ministry of Magic. But one could never be too careful so he had decided to spend this day as a dog to check his surroundings. Although there wasn't much to check, to be honest. It had been 12 years and this town had stayed pretty much the same Sirius remembered it. Memories were everywhere he looked. He walked through the park and immediately recognized the oak under which Evelyn and he spent so many romantic moments. He turned around the corner and found the old movie theater where they kissed for the first time. Now, 12 years later, it was renovated, and Sirius, overwhelmed with nostalgia, wished to take look inside but the sign in the front of the movie theater warned that animals are not allowed inside. Muggle nonsense, he thought and jogged away after a tall guy, probably from the staff of the theatre, walked outside and mumbled something that sounded like " dog catchers " and " rabies" to Sirius, noticing a dirty dog prowling around the building. The wizard wasn't intimidated by either of these things. He wasn't intimidated by anything Muggle, but there was no need to attract unnecessary attention. And he saw the small summer cafe where Evelyn announced her pregnancy to him. What a fool was he back then, what a coward! Ridden with guilt and remorse, Sirius made his way to the part of the town where Evelyn's house was. Even after all these years, he was unmistakenly sure about the address. How would she react if she saw him in front of her? Would she ever recognize him or would she take him for some filthy homeless? Maybe she had already completely forgotten him...if a woman could forget a man who had left her with an infant on her arms.

However, a surprise awaited him once he reached his destination. Evelyn's house was still there but it seemed to be totally abandoned. Some of the windows were boarded shut and some were just empty and glassless. A wooden sign " For sale "was stuck into the ground. The fence around the house was half broken and Sirius hopped over it to take a closer look. The grass in the garden had grown so tall that Sirius, being the big dog that he was, could easily hide in it. The front door was closed but not locked, and Sirius slipped inside.

The house was empty and it was obvious that no one was living here for a long time already. Dust had piled up in all the corners of every room. Some lonely, knocked over furniture were still there – a broken chair, a closet with no doors and a lamp with a shattered glass lampshade. On windowsills, there were some withered houseplants. Sirius walked up the stairs to the second floor, the steps squeaked under his weight. There, in one of the rooms, he found an old, rusted baby crib and rotten baby clothes. He whimpered quietly. His child was born. They were here. Where did they go? How will he find them now? Sirius took an old teddy bear in his teeth and left the house. He had an idea who might know something about Evelyn and his child.


	3. Chapter 3

Streetlights slowly came to life as Sirius walked towards the small pub. It was the only pub in this town and, if only Sirius remembered correctly, the people who worked there knew everything about everyone whether they liked it or not.

When he pushed the door open, a cloud of tobacco smoke, cheap perfume and sweat hit his nostrils. The music was blasting loudly and many people were talking, drinking and dancing. As he walked through the crowd, Sirius felt many looks following him. That was no wonder, he really looked quite odd in his Azkaban clothing and his old, tattered robe over them. He almost wanted to transform back into a dog but he knew he wouldn't be let into here as a dog, nor would someone talk to a dog. He had to be a human now, as long as he finds out everything he needs. As always, he looked around carefully. No Aurors anywhere. He walked over to the bar counter and sat on the stool.

" Hey man, " a middle-aged, cleanly shaved bartender muttered under his nose, running his eyes over Sirius, " Something to drink? "

Sirius, who had very little idea about Muggle drinks, nodded. " Whatever you advise."

The bartender splashed some golden, transparent liquid in a high glass with an emblem on it. White foam poured over the edges and the bartended cleaned it up before sliding the glass towards the customer. It looked much like a butterbeer to Sirius but was a lot more bitter to taste. " A high-quality beer ", the bartended informed. Sirius was no beginner when it came to liquor but if this drink was a high quality, he was Voldemort himself. Muggles obviously didn't know that alcohol wasn't supposed to make all your taste buds crumple up in disgust. He pushed the glass away from him, shuddering. He didn't come here to drink after all.

" You know everyone around here, right? "

The bartender grinned, wiping the shiny surface of the counter. " I guess. You're not a local, are you? I've never seen you here before. "

" I...used to live here. But that was ages ago. And I could use some information. "

" Are you looking for someone? " the bartender glanced at Sirius. " What's in it for me? "

Oh, these Muggles. Greedy as hell. In their world, nothing came for free and Sirius was ready for that. He had a few Galleons left after he purchased the Firebolt for Harry. Sure, it wasn't Muggle money but it was still gold and the bartender's eyes widened and brightened up like traffic lights when Sirius pushed a handful of these valuables over the counter.

" What the hell, man!" the bartender quickly grabbed the golden coins, shooting a quick glance around. " It's gold! How come you look like a bum and yet you carry pure gold in your pocket? Have you robbed a bank or something? "

" Evelyn Morgan, " Sirius interrupted him. " Do you know where she is? I came to visit her at her house but it's abandoned. "

" Oh, you're way too late, man," the bartender answered, hiding Galleons in his pockets. " The only place you can meet her now is the cemetery. "

The beer suddenly didn't seem so bitter anymore. Sirius' hand tightened around the glass hard enough to make it crackle a bit.

" When did it happen? "

" It'll be 5 years now. Poor thing. Seemed like a good-natured woman. "

" How did it happen? " His own voice seemed so unfamiliar, so far. He wasn't here and someone else was asking the questions.

The bartender leaned over the counter closer to Sirius as if he didn't want someone else to hear them. His voice lowered down to almost a whisper.

" Well, there are different versions of that. The police claimed it was a suicide. But the people in the town talk that she was very ill months before her death and didn't leave the house at all. Some say she overworked herself trying to keep the food on the table for her child. "

Now, this was the part that interested Sirius the most. He moved in his chair and looked the bartender right in the eyes.

" What's the child's name? "

The bartender shrugged. " Samantha," he responded carelessly as if he was talking about a dog or a cat.

Samantha? A girl? A daughter? In his imagination, Sirius saw a dark haired, dark eyed young witch looking like Evelyn. She was laughing a clear, sonorous laughter as she experimented with various spells and charms. Sirius' heart quivered in a sudden joy. Samantha Morgan Black.

" Where is she now? The girl? "

The bartender looked at Sirius suspiciously and his brows furrowed.

" Why are you asking so much, man? Are you an undercover cop or something? "

" Answer me! " Sirius hissed and the lamp above the counter exploded, shattering into thousand little pieces. The magic was breaking out.

The bartended jumped out of his skin. " Alright, man, calm down! " His eyes bulged as he examined the place where the bulb was. " What the hell happened, they just screwed them in yesterday... oh..." He looked back at Sirius. " Samantha, she lives on the other side of the town. The first house next to the library. It's her aunt's house, the girl has been living with her ever since her mother died. "

Without a single goodbye Sirius' slipped off the bar stool and went outside. He had found out everything he wanted to know. Harry was 13 years old now so his daughter should be around 15. He looked around and noticed a lonely owl sitting in the branches of the nearest tree. It watched Sirius keenly as if waiting for an order. Sirius waved and the bird flew down.

" Will you bring a letter to Hogwarts? " he asked and the owl hooted affirmatively. It sat on Sirius' shoulder while the wizard wrote a letter to Harry. If Samantha was a witch, it was very possible that she was a Hogwarts student just a few years above Harry.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I guess you didn't expect to hear from me so soon. Buckbeack and I are doing fine. I'd like you to do a favor for me. Could you find out if there's a girl named Samantha Morgan in Hogwarts? She could be in the fifth or the sixth year, no idea about the house. Answer me as fast as you can. Thanks!_

 _Your godfather_

He folded the letter, gave it to the owl and watched the bird fly away in the night sky. Sirius realize that maybe it wasn't the best idea to pull his godson into this but he had to know. He had to know whether his daughter was in Hogwarts or not. If she was, it might be easier to have a contact with her. If not...well, at least he won't have to involve Harry into this anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

Knock, knock, knock.

The sun hadn't raised yet and the little town was still sinking in the last gleam of night. The park was empty, except for the homeless who were sleeping on benches with their bottles of booze next to them. A big black dog was lying under an oak tree. It wasn't easy to tell whether it was sleeping or not. Even though the dog's eyes were closed, its ears twitched with every sound, always alert. Sprawled across the grass it looked more like a bear than a dog. It had been around for days now and its appearance began to attract people's attention. It was the biggest dog anyone had ever seen. People didn't let their children near it and put leashes on their pets. The giant dog never hurt anyone and didn't seem to be interested in anyone. It wandered around the town from dawn till dusk, watching, listening, observing, sniffing. It almost seemed that the dog knew why was it here and what it was doing. As if it had a certain purpose.

Knock, knock, knock.

Some tried to get rid of the dog. For a while dog catchers were patrolling the town looking for the scary animal that people had reported. But this dog was impossible to catch. The second you turned your back on it, the dog was gone, nowhere to be found. And it came back. Always.

Knock, knock, knock.

Something was knocking on the oak somewhere above his head for a while now. Through his sleep, Sirius snarled irritatedly.

Peck!

A sharp pain stung his snout. Sirius jumped up and looked around, growling and baring his teeth to whoever dared to touch him.

A small, grey owl fluttered above his head with a piece of paper in its beak. Sirius recognized it, it was the same owl he had sent to Hogwarts and now it was back with a letter from Harry. Unable to wake him up, the owl pecked Sirius to get his attention. He sighed, took the letter from the bird and it flew away as fast as it could, obviously not wanting to have any more business with this sleepyhead. Sirius unfolded the sealed parchment and started to read.

 _Dear Sirius,_

 _Thank you for your letter! I'm glad you're doing fine. I'm really busy now, literary drowning in homework._

 _As for your request – I asked the students from all the houses and professor McGonagall confirmed it - there's no such girl in Hogwarts. Why do you ask?_

 _Stay safe and be careful!_

 _Harry_

Sirius stared at the parchment as if Harry's handwriting would rearrange itself any minute and form completely different words. He was so sure that Harry would respond something totally different that this response had caught him off the guard. All the young witches and wizards from the United Kingdom and Ireland went to Hogwarts, so it wasn't possible that Samantha could study at a different magical school. It also wasn't possible that Hogwarts could've forgotten about her. If she wasn't there...that could only mean one thing. Sirius ran his hands over his rugged cheeks and stuffed Harry's letter in his pocket. He wasn't ready yet to answer Harry's " why do you ask? ". His godson was too young to understand this and Sirius wasn't going to burden him with his past mistakes.

It was late afternoon when Sirius found the house that the bartender told him about. It was a small white house with a few rose shrubs in front of it and a discolored fence around the small yard. The lawn was mowed short and a big apple tree in the backyard swung its branches in the wind. A green smiling frog statue holding a flower umbrella over its head was standing on the front porch. For a good while nothing else happened. The place was completely silent and even though many signs pointed to the fact that people live here, it seemed just as abandoned as Evelyn's old house. People walking in and out of the library was the only movement around here. Sirius sat on the pavement and waited.

After what seemed like an eternity the back door of the house squeaked open and someone came out. Sirius put his paws on the fence to see better. When the person turned the corner, he saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was definitely a teenager, not much older than Harry. Samantha looked so much like her mother that if Sirius didn't know Evelyn was dead, he would think this was her. But this was her daughter, his daughter. The resemblance was incredible. Thick, dark brown hair fell down to her shoulder blades and made her ivory skin even fairer. She was slim and wore ordinary Muggle clothes – jeans and a T-shirt, in one hand she was carrying gardening scissors. Samantha walked over to the bushy rose shrubs, kneeled down and started to cut off the few remaining roses. Completely fascinated by her, Sirius uttered a low growl that made her look his direction.

Samantha was kneeling for a few more minutes as she was looking towards the strange dog that was hanging on her fence. Then she got up and walked towards Sirius, she didn't seem frightened at all. Her face expressed sheer curiosity.

" Hey, you, " she spoke, " what are you doing here? "

Her voice was just as Sirius had imagined it – clear, childlike, dulcet. When she came to the fence, Sirius noticed her delicate facial features and brown, almond eyes. She was smiling, which made her face to brighten up even more.

" Do you bite? " she asked, hesitantly reaching her hand towards Sirius.

He sniffed it – ground, soil, grass, and roses - and then playfully licked her fingers. Samantha laughed and opened the gate, letting the wizard in her yard.

" Do you belong to somebody? " She looked around Sirius' neck for a collar. " No? You look famished. Are you a stray? " She petted his head for a minute. Sirius sat like motionless, wagging his tail, trying to behave like an ordinary dog.

She got up and started walking towards the house. Sirius followed, whining just loud enough for her to hear. Samantha turned around and smiled.

" You can come in for a moment if you want but you can't stay. My aunt doesn't like animals."

Through the open back door, Sirius strolled into the kitchen. He looked around – an ordinary household. He closed his eyes and smelled the air. Flowers, cookies and washing detergent mixed together. He couldn't feel any trace of magic. Samantha returned and put a bowl of water in front of Sirius.

" Here, have a drink. You must be hungry too. "

She put a plate of white bread and cooked carrots next to the water. This made Sirius remember how hungry he actually was. During these days his diet consisted of whatever food he could find in the trash or managed to steal from the market stalls. He ate the plate empty and lapped the water hastily before walking further into the house. Wherever he looked, he couldn't see any evidence of magic. On the coffee table in the living room, there was a framed photo. There she was. Evelyn. In the picture she was young and healthy and smiled, holding a baby in her arms. The baby girl was wearing a pink lace dress, waving her little, chubby arm to the camera. Neither Evelyn or little Samantha weren't moving so it was a Muggle photo. Evelyn looked so happy. And Sirius? Where was he the moment this photo was taken? He should have been there, with them.

The click-clack sound of high-heel shoes clattered from the front door of the house and a woman entered the living room. This must be Evelyn's sister, Samantha's aunt, Sirius thought. When dating Evelyn, he had never met her sibling in person. She had Evelyn's brown eyes but other than that didn't look like her sister at all. She was an overweight, short woman with colored blonde hair that was swept back into a knot. For some reason, Sirius disliked her on the spot, although he didn't have to wait long for a reason. She noticed a dog standing in the living room and her face got altered with anger.

" Samantha! " she yelled. " What's going on in here? How many times have I told you – no animals in the house! Get that filthy mutt out of here immediately! "

Sirius managed to lift his upper lip and show the woman a row of white, sharp fangs before Samantha hurried into the room. She pulled Sirius aside.

" Sorry, aunt. He looked like he needed some help. I wasn't going to keep him. "

" Get him out before he destroys everything in here! I hope he hasn't chewed something up already. "

Samantha and Sirius walked out in the yard. She looked upset, surely she'd like to keep the dog. But her aunt was against it and she was a child who had no choice but to obey her aunt. She took Sirius outside the fence and closed the gate.

" Go, run along! You can't stay here." She looked at the dog closely, then reached over the fence and petted its head one more time. " Sorry. " She turned around and walked back to the house.

But Sirius didn't leave. He couldn't help but feel suspicious about Samantha's aunt. If she could treat an animal so coldly, who knows how was she treating the girl? He had to make sure his daughter was safe. So he hid in the nearest bushes and waited until it the dark. The house lighted up, they were using electricity. Sirius came out of his hideout and jumped over the fence. The yard was dark and, lurking from shadow to shadow, Sirius made his way to the kitchen window and peeked through the tiny gap between the closed curtains. Samantha and her aunt were in the kitchen, talking and working. Evelyn's sister wasn't yelling anymore and they seemed to get along well. But that was the moment when everything became crystal clear to Sirius. They were doing all the housework – cooking, cleaning, sewing, ironing – with their hands. Not one little thing moved on its own. No wonder Samantha wasn't studying in Hogwarts. She didn't need to be there. No wonder he hadn't felt any magic in the house earlier today. There wasn't any. His daughter was a Squib.

Sirius hopped over the fence and stood in the front of the house. The night was really cold but the coldness Sirius felt inside was greater. Just yesterday he was completely sure that his daughter was a witch. Harry's letter had sown some doubts and now... Squibs were rare in the magical world and technically they had the right to be a part of the magical community but just like Muggle-borns, they were looked upon with a degree of disdain by certain wizards and witches. But that didn't diminish Sirius' love for his child. She liked the big black dog? Well, in that case, the big black dog will be around her.


	5. Chapter 5

It was one of the last sunny days in this Autumn. The first rays of sun shined through the windows of a small, white house, illuminating the ruby petals of the last roses. Like every morning Samantha walked out of the house to go to school. She strolled past a bunch of little preschool kids who waddled behind their teacher, all safely strapped in a walking rope. A couple of cars rumbled by, pumping smoke out of their exhaust pipes. The traffic was building up rapidly, even though it was still so early. And as Samantha turned the corner of her street, she felt something big, soft and bearish plodding next to her. She looked down and a loud " bark, bark " greeted her instead of " good morning ".

" It's you again? " Samantha smiled to the unexpected companion. " Are you keeping an eye on me or what? "

She laughed and reached down to pet the back of what she thought was a big, black dog. The townspeople didn't pay attention to it anymore. Now when everybody saw the animal accompanied by a human, they weren't worried about it sneaking through the town because it had obviously been adopted by this girl. Well, that wasn't true. Samantha's aunt was completely against having animals in the house which gravely upset the girl. However, it didn't stop the dog to look for a contact with Samantha. That surprised and pleased the girl and she didn't know how right she was, assuming that she was being kept an eye on. Because the dog wasn't actually a dog at all. Samantha had no idea how much she shared with Sirius Black, a wizard, that was currently hiding in the body of a dog. Having escaped from Azkaban, Sirius' abilities as an Animagus helped him to avoid capture and find his long-abandoned daughter – Samantha. She had grown into a sincere and likable person, who didn't know she indirectly belonged to the magical world as well, even though unable to perform any magic. Partly because of avoiding Aurors and partly because of still not having enough courage to come up to her as a person, Sirius walked beside her quietly, breathing the mix of the fresh morning air and exhaust fumes.

As they arrived at the front door of the school, Sirius followed Samantha up the steps when she turned around and looked at the dog.

" You can't come further. Our school doesn't allow animals. " She bent down and smiled, stroking the fur on the front of the dog's head. " Have a nice day! "

Sirius got sulky as he watched Samantha walking into the school together with other children and leaving him behind. What kind of world did these Muggles live in where animals weren't allowed to go anywhere? Through the window Sirius could see Samantha sitting in the class, listening to the teacher in front of the class, who was talking about something. " You don't belong there, " he thought as he watched his daughter sitting among other Muggle children as if she was like them, " you have wizarding blood in you. "

The disapproval towards Muggle lifestyle changed the same day when Sirius was content to find out that Muggle children had a different way of studying. Unlike wizard students who spent their whole study year in the school, Muggles went to the school in the morning and then came back in the afternoon. So when Samantha appeared in the doors of the school, Sirius dashed towards her so fast he almost knocked down some passing students.

She was walking together with another girl, possibly her classmate. When Sirius galloped to them and started jumping around Samantha, the girl flinched and jumped aside.

" Dear God, what is that? Do you have a dog now? "

" No, he's a stray. Appeared around my house a few days ago, no idea where he came from. "

The girl grimaced. " Well, that's the hugest dog I've ever seen. No wonder your aunt doesn't want animals in your house. "

Day after day passed and sometimes Sirius felt like he was starting to lose the track of time. This had been the longest time he had ever spent as a dog. It wasn't too bad. Now he was getting fed every day, after dinner, Samantha always came outside to give him something she had secretly saved from the dinner table and when there was a lunch break at the school, she knew her dog was waiting for her outside, hoping on some food. Samantha thought that if he was cleaner, maybe her aunt wouldn't be against a pet. Sirius allowed being bathed, even though the soap stung his eyes and got into his nose. The plan didn't quite work out, however, Evelyn's sister allowed the dog to be on the front porch now. He tried hard to act like a normal dog, to the point of chasing a stick when Samantha threw it. They had much fun together and Sirius remembered that he had almost forgotten what it meant to be happy.

One day after school Samantha was sitting on the park bench. The wind was chilly but she didn't feel like going home yet. She was telling Sirius about her day. He caught her every word, following the expressions on her face. " She must be very lonely ", Sirius thought, " if she finds so much joy in talking to a dog ". Harry was never alone. Wherever he went, he always had Ron and Hermione with him. Samantha, on the other hand... was alone. Sometimes she went out of the school with some kids by her side but at the end of the day, she was alone. She went to school alone. She came home alone. She did her homework alone. She never had any friends over and Sirius couldn't believe her aunt would forbid her from having friends. Had it always been like this? Was it typical for Muggles to be loners? No... during this time Sirius had observed them well enough to know that just like wizards, Muggles liked the company. Most of them, at least. Children and teenagers talked and laughed together in small groups. Not Samantha.

" You know, " she said, her fingers playing in Sirius' fur, " it's ridiculous but sometimes I feel like you actually understand what I'm saying. You have such intelligent eyes. "

She hugged him so strongly he almost felt his ribcage crack. Sirius put his head on her shoulder, considering something. Their situation couldn't go on like this much longer. He had come here to get to know his daughter and he wanted her to get to know him as well, to know that she's not alone in this world. She would never imagine that this dog is actually her father, of course. Sirius knew that he had to start appearing to her as a person and soon. But how would that work out? She was treating him good now because she loved animals and he was a lovable stray. Would she be as open to a stranger, a grown man she had never seen before? Would she believe him at all? Would she talk to him at all? What if Evelyn has taught her to hate her father? Samantha was never talking about her parents, her mother or her father with neither her aunt or Sirius. Sure, was he expecting her to tell her whole life story to a dog? Why would she?

Sirius licked her cheek carefully. He had to stop being a coward. He was one 15 years ago and that cost him too much. It cost him the woman he loved and the child that was created in this love. He knew his daughter could push him away and she had all the right to do that but he had to try.


	6. Chapter 6

Sirius was lying on the front porch of the small white house listening to the raindrops pattering on the roof and cursing himself over and over again. More and more days passed but he still didn't have the heart to approach his daughter. The fear of her reaction didn't let him act, forcing him to spend his days as a dog. He wasn't sure if he could handle the rejection from his own child. A small, logical part of his mind told him that it was the only thing he could expect. " What do you think, " his brain sneered, " that she'll welcome you with open arms, a stranger who abandoned her before she was even born? " His heart, however, whispered that it would break into thousand pieces if the girl refused to know him. He was waiting, all the time waiting for something, some kind of a reason to start a conversation with her.

Finally, the chance came. As it turned out, Samantha had a part-time job in the same little cafe where 15 years ago occurred the final encounter between Sirius and Evelyn. She only worked three days a week after the school in order to help her aunt with the expenses. Under the influence of the first overwhelming emotions of meeting his daughter for the first time, Sirius had missed how sad her life actually was. Now he couldn't not see it, it stroke his eye whether he wanted it or not. Poverty was everywhere he looked. Samantha's clothes, though always clean, were all worn out and patched. In evenings they often lighted candles to save the electricity. Through the open kitchen window, Sirius overheard Samantha's aunt talking about going to the market and selling the last roses from their rose bushes. Maybe, he thought, the reason why she didn't want Samantha to have any pets was not so much dislike for animals but the fact that they wouldn't be able to feed and properly take care for the animal. They were eating foods that were the cheapest in the nearest market – vegetables, and bread. Every now and then Evelyn's sister made an oatmeal porridge. Never once had Sirius seen meat on the table. He thought about Harry and Hogwarts, where the tables in the Great Hall were almost breaking of the quantity of food. His godson was able to get as much food as he wanted and the kitchen house elves would always give him more. His daughter, on the other hand, had to eat what she could afford and yet she was still sharing her dinner with a stray dog who had appeared in her life out of thin air. After witnessing their lifestyle, Sirius wasn't accepting any food from her anymore. Digging in the trash for food was better than taking away half of his child's already small meal.

This afternoon was dark and rainy and it was also the day when Samantha had to work. So finally Sirius gathered the courage to walk out on the streets as a human. He had to steal some clothes from the market to look more or less decent, otherwise, his appearance was screaming " homeless ". He remembered the little cafe very well, too well. This place held the turning point of his life that he never stopped to regret. It was still located on the corner of two streets and the doorbell jingled just as clearly as it did 15 years ago. It almost hadn't changed on the inside as well. Light jazz music was playing soft and low. The small, round tables, the wooden floors, the vintage chandeliers, the red velvet curtains framing the windows, keeping the place warm and romantic – everything was the same as Sirius remembered it. He found a free table in the furthest corner and sat down, as usual, running his eyes over the people. He had let his guard down a bit and wasn't that afraid of encountering Aurors anymore. He was in the suburbs of London after all, far away from the center of the city, and so far hadn't seen any posters with his face on them even though he knew Muggle police was looking for him as well. He turned away when he saw the table where he and Evelyn used to sit, now it was taken by a young, kissing couple.

Samantha came out of some doors behind the counter. She was wearing a dark uniform with a small white apron, which visually slimmed the girl's already slender body even more. Her eyes stopped at the corner of the cafe and Sirius' heart jumped when he saw her walking towards him, obviously because she had noticed a new face.

" Hello, sir, " she greeted Sirius, smiling cheerfully. " Would you like to order something? "

Silence. Their eyes met. Samantha's lashes quivered at the intensity of his stare and Sirius lowered his eyes, not wanting to plant the wrong idea in the girl's mind. Sirius cleared his throat, watching the edge of the table.

" No, thank you. "

" Call me if you change your mind," she spoke somewhere above his head and Sirius heard the fabric of the skirt of her uniform swishing as she turned around and walked away.

This was hard, much harder than escaping from Azkaban, much harder than he had imagined. He spent hours quietly sitting and watching Samantha walking from one table to another, writing down orders and bringing guests their foods and drinks. Every now and then she shot a glance towards Sirius and he then forced himself to not look back at her. He wished she could read minds, then he wouldn't have to say anything. Sirius could have sworn that the moment when he looked into her eyes, his soul overflowed with joy even more than when he saw Harry for the first time. " What did you expect to happen? " his brain burst out in an evil laugh. " Did you think she'll spot the dog in you? Don't be a fool! " " She doesn't know him yet, " the heart was comforting him," don't make any hasty conclusions. She might be dreaming to meet her father." " Shut up, both of you! " Sirius muttered and walked out of the cafe.

It was quite late already when Samantha finally walked out of the cafe, obviously, her shift was over. Sirius moved forward a bit, this time determined to start talking to her but stopped short when he saw that Samantha wasn't alone. A young, blonde guy was walking behind her and she seemingly wasn't very happy about that.

" Jason, how many times do I have to tell you – I'm not into you. So stop wasting our time, I'll never go out with you. "

" Come on," the guy whined, his voice just as unpleasant as his attitude, " Why not? It's going to be fun, you'll see! "

Samantha didn't answer. She started walking faster as if trying to hint Jason that this conversation is over. Sirius followed them, not wanting to leave his daughter alone in the company of this self-centered dude. A few moments later Jason's patience seemed to be over. He stopped in the middle of the path and grabbed Samantha's shoulders, turning her to face him.

" Let me go! " she tried to push his hands away but Jason was stronger. He started to pull Samantha towards him.

Sirius jumped out of his hideout and pushed the guy away from Samantha, standing in front of his daughter like an angered lion. Jason fell backward on the pavement and looked up at Sirius. The years spent in Azkaban reflected in Sirius' face very clearly and even a Muggle, even someone who had no idea about the existence of Azkaban, felt intimidated. This wasn't the face of an ordinary prisoner. This was the face of someone whose joy and hopes had been sucked away by Dementors, someone who had nothing to lose, yet still had someone he was ready to kill for. Samantha didn't seem scared though. Maybe startled but that didn't bother her from coming up to Sirius.

" Thank you, sir," she said, staring right into his eyes. " Weren't you in the cafe earlier today? I think I remember you. "

" Uhm... yes, I was. " Sirius answered, glancing at the blonde guy who was hunched up on the nearest bench. " Do you know him? "

" Unfortunately. He's been asking me out for months. Just a damn idiot who doesn't understand what " no " means." Samantha pouted, turning her head away from her persistent suitor.

Sirius smiled lightly, hiding it behind the locks of his hair. They weren't so different after all. Yes, Samantha was like Evelyn on the outside. However, Sirius could see himself in some of her traits that were showing already. He would have used approximately the same expressions to describe someone like that guy.

" Do you...do you want me to accompany you home? " Sirius offered, desperately wanting to continue talking to her, now that she had finally noticed him.

" Well..." Samantha measured him with the eye of wariness and for a good five seconds Sirius was sure she'd say " no ". Then the corners of her lips raised in a faint smile. " Fine. "

The blonde guy was already opening his mouth to say something but the menacing look that Sirius gave him, obviously made him change his mind. If only I could hex him, Sirius thought. Now he wished for nothing more than his wand, if only he had worked harder back when he was still a student of Hogwarts, he might be able to do wandless magic by now. The guy would become another bench on this street for daring to lay his dirty hands on Sirius' child.

They walked silently through the grey, foggy city. Before Sirius could start to worry that times time would go to waste as well, Samantha started the conversation first.

" I don't normally do that, you know. "

" What? "

" Allow someone to accompany me. My aunt would be in shock if she saw me now. She has always taught me to very careful towards men. "

" You seem to have a clever aunt, " Sirius answered, smiling at her. To his surprise, she smiled back.

" She's not as smart as she's paranoid. And her paranoia has stuck with me. I'm kind of afraid of men. " She turned her head to look at Sirius. The wind blew the dark strands of her hair in her face. " But for some reason, I'm not afraid of you. You're new in this town, aren't you? I've never seen you around before. "

Sirius stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket. " Yes, I came here a few days ago. "

" Why would you come to this small village? There are so much better places to live. If I had where to go, I wouldn't live here a day."

Sirius looked at her. Her head was hanged low and she was kicking small pebbles on the asphalt. She was dreaming about a better life, she didn't feel good here. What could Sirius give her? He didn't even have an accommodation! He was silent for a while.

" I came here because I'm looking... I'm looking for my daughter. "

Now Samantha's eyes widened and she almost tripped over her feet. Sirius managed to catch her and place back her on her foot. Her face voiced incomprehension.

" Looking for your daughter? What do you mean? "

" Well...I've never seen her. And she has never seen me. It's a long story."

" Maybe I know her? I know almost everyone here, this village is so small. What's her name? "

Sirius felt a lump forming in his throat. If he said her name, she'd probably realize that this conversation is all about her. That's what he wanted, right? He wanted Samantha to know her father, didn't he? He had waited so long for this moment but words just didn't come out. Fear. Fear of her reaction. Since when had he started to be afraid so much?

" I don't think you know her. I'm not sure myself if she's still living here. I just came to check. "

Why did he lie? James would be ashamed to see how cowardly his best friend had become. Fortunately, they had already arrived at Samantha's house so he didn't have to hear her answer. Sirius noticed that the curtains opened slightly and someone, probably Samantha's aunt, peeked at the street.

" I live here. Thank you for accompanying me, sir. Have a good night. "

She closed the gate behind her and walked towards the house. Sirius stood in the shadows of trees and watched her strolling around in her yard as if she was looking for something. This was the first day without the black dog and she seemed really surprised that the animal wasn't there. Samantha rattled the empty food bowl, hoping that the sound would attract the dog but no one showed up. Visibly upset she went into the house, while two shining eyes of a big black dog were watching her from the bushes.


End file.
